Federal authorities have recommended that Avastin — the world’s best-selling cancer drug — no longer be used to treat breast cancer, saying that recent studies failed to show the drug’s original promise that it could help extend patients’ lives, the Associated Press reports.

The recommendation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not affect other approved uses of Avastin, such as in the treatment of lung, kidney, colon and brain cancers. FDA officials stressed that their recommendation is only a preliminary step toward revoking the drug’s approval for breast cancer and, The New York Times reports, it is likely to remain approved for use against breast cancer at least for a few more months.

Swiss drugmaker Roche, whose Genentech unit makes Avastin, is expected to challenge the FDA recommendation, and the company issued a statement that would request a public meeting on the issue.

Though the move has sparked fears among some women who will no longer be able to take a drug they believe is extending their lives, patient advocacy groups applauded the decision, saying that breast cancer patients need more than false hope. According to Genentech, Avastin is used by about half of the 29,000 patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer every year.

“I understand that today’s recommendation from the FDA is disappointing for patients with breast cancer,” Dr. Richard Pazdur, head of the agency’s cancer drug division, told reporters in a conference call. “Please note that these findings are also disappointing for the FDA as well.”

The FDA action came the same day that the European Medicines Agency, relying on the same studies, moved to keep the drug available to patients, but in a narrower way than before.

Many experts said Avastin appeared to help some patients live longer but right now, The Times said, it is impossible to predict which patients. If Genentech could figure out how to predict this — such as by a genetic test — the drug possibly could remain approved for some breast cancer patients in the U.S.

A fatal motorcycle accident in San Diego County on Jan. 30, 2011. (CAL FIRE San Diego)

After years of inaction, federal regulators are trying to crack down on the use of cheap novelty helmets linked to thousands of motorcycle crash deaths and injuries in recent years.

The novelty helmets do not comply with federal safety standards, and provide little or no protection against head injuries in a crash. Still, as FairWarning has reported, tens of thousands of the helmets — also known as “loophole lids” or “brain buckets” – every year are imported from overseas and peddled over the Internet.

But now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing rules to cut off the supply of novelty helmets and make it easier for state law enforcement officials to identify offending gear on the road. Together, NHTSA officials say, the moves could save dozens or even hundreds

A new study has found that firefighters have a greater than average risk of developing some types of cancer, and that black and Latino firefighters face the highest risk of all.

The findings by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the federal agency thatresearches work-related hazards, confirm previous research about firefighters and cancers that may be caused by inhalation of toxic fumes. But the study is unique for its size and focus on minority firefighters. Authors say it included more firefighters with cancer–3,996–than previous studies.

The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, used 1988 to 2007 data from the California Cancer Registry to compare the incidence of cancer among firefighters and the general public.It found that all California firefighters had a 30 to 100 percent greater chance of developing melanoma and certain cancers of the esophagus, lung, prostate,

For workers like John W. McDonnell, 47, a bartender at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, secondhand smoke remains a serious issue. “You get done with your shift, and you’re breathing heavy and your eyes burn and your nose is sore,” he said.

NIOSH, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called on employers to take steps to protect workers. The advisory agency recommended banning